COLUMBUS, Ohio _ Offensive guard Wyatt Davis is leaving the Ohio State football program in order to prepare for next year's NFL draft, becoming the Buckeyes' first player to publicly opt out of the 2020 season after it was postponed by the Big Ten last month due to the coronavirus pandemic.
In a message posted on his Twitter account Friday, Davis said he spent this week weighing his future in discussions with his family and members of the Buckeyes coaching staff.
"I am deeply saddened that my time in a Buckeye uniform has been cut short," he wrote, "but promise that my contributions to The Ohio State University are just getting started."
A communications major who was entering his fourth year at Ohio State, Davis added that he planned to complete his degree requirements and graduate. He is projected as a first-round draft pick.
He considered turning pro after last season but remained in school, seeking to avenge a loss to Clemson in the College Football Playoff and compete for a national championship.
Following the heartbreaking defeat, Davis called it further motivation.
But Ohio State's chances of competing for a national title appear increasingly faint without plans established by the Big Ten to play in the months ahead.
Since the conference scrapped games for this fall in early August, no framework has been approved for a rescheduled season.
Meanwhile, other major conferences, including the Atlantic Coast, Big 12 and Southeastern, are starting their seasons, though at least four games involving Power Five teams, have been postponed after they had previously been scheduled for this weekend.
The three major leagues, along with other conferences in the Football Bowl Subdivision, are in consideration for the College Football Playoff, which remains as scheduled for January.
In comments published by Yahoo Sports, which first reported his departure, Davis called it "really heartbreaking" to leave.
"My family and I were waiting to hear any good news that there would be a possibility to play in the fall," Davis told the website. "As the weeks went on, after the initial cancellation, the news didn't seem in favor that we would have an opportunity to play for a national championship if there was a season."
Davis could not be reached for additional comments.
He is among several Ohio State players who could be selected in the first round of the NFL draft next year, including quarterback Justin Fields and cornerback Shaun Wade, who are both underclassmen and eligible to turn pro.
The possibility of a drain of top talent in the program will remain as uncertainty over the postponed season lingers. But an OSU source said "no one else right now" planned to follow Davis' footsteps in declaring for the draft.
Fields has taken part in recent practices at Ohio State, according to photos shared by the team's social media account. He has been among the most vocal supporters for reinstating a fall football season, even launching an online petition last month that gathered more than 300,000 signatures.
Before the Buckeyes were seemingly left out of the national title picture, Davis was seen as one of the most important pieces for contention for a championship.
He was named a first-team preseason All-American by the Associated Press, and as the starting right guard formed a formidable tandem in the interior of the offensive line, alongside center Josh Myers, who also returned for his fourth season in Columbus.
After his first full season as a starter last fall, Davis was an All-Big Ten selection.
"On one hand, playing at The Ohio State has been the experience of a lifetime," Davis wrote in his Twitter statement. "On the other, my childhood dream is to play in the NFL."
He has an NFL bloodlines, having idolizes his late grandfather, Willie Davis, who was a Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive end for the Green Bay Packers.
